Hi all.
Had the heads from my 67 396 to a machine shop for a price on valve seats and/or guides. Price for the 3 angle valve job is $ 530.00. New seats, $ 30 - 40 per. His suggestion was to only change the exhaust side.
I don't really know where to go with this. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Dom

Here is a tip. The 50+ year old heads are going to need guides or better yet properly installed liners. Have hard exhaust seats done at the same time. That way when the valve job is done. You get three angle valve job done for no extra cost.
The seats have to be done that way anyways.

So when you get your quote... Ask for guides/liners and hard seats+ valve job and you will get a three angle valve job without the "added" cost. All part of the work correcting the seats after the guides and seats are installed..

Some of these shops consider you "fair game" when you mention "three angle valve job".. When in reality it is an included part of a regular service guide and seat install.

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to BOBCRMAN@aol.com For This Useful Post:

Here is a tip. The 50+ year old heads are going to need guides or better yet properly installed liners. Have hard exhaust seats done at the same time. That way when the valve job is done. You get three angle valve job done for no extra cost.
The seats have to be done that way anyways.

So when you get your quote... Ask for guides/liners and hard seats+ valve job and you will get a three angle valve job without the "added" cost. All part of the work correcting the seats after the guides and seats are installed..

Some of these shops consider you "fair game" when you mention "three angle valve job".. When in reality it is an included part of a regular service guide and seat install.

I was thinking that as well but didn't know what that price was including. Does that price include any parts? cleaning, magnafluxing, surfacing an assembley? Drop off a set of greasey big block heads and pick them up full of new parts ready to bolt on an you easily have $500 in them. I did find it strange that he was quote an hourly rate rather than a flat rate for seat replacement.

Tresi:
His quote was for the seats only. I think the work was included in the 530 price.
Although I could have misunderstood him. But, the 3 times I have been there, he was sitting in the back office watching tv, and the place looked too clean, so I don't have much confidence in him.

Here is a tip. The 50+ year old heads are going to need guides or better yet properly installed liners. Have hard exhaust seats done at the same time. That way when the valve job is done. You get three angle valve job done for no extra cost.
The seats have to be done that way anyways.

So when you get your quote... Ask for guides/liners and hard seats+ valve job and you will get a three angle valve job without the "added" cost. All part of the work correcting the seats after the guides and seats are installed..

Some of these shops consider you "fair game" when you mention "three angle valve job".. When in reality it is an included part of a regular service guide and seat install.

Bob:
I didn't go in asking for a valve job. I asked to have the guides and maybe seats replaced. I had read in here to ask about the seats, and the valve job would need to be done anyway.
I will ask someone else, just how you wrote it here. Makes good sense.
Thank you.
Dom

Tresi:
His quote was for the seats only. I think the work was included in the 530 price.
Although I could have misunderstood him. But, the 3 times I have been there, he was sitting in the back office watching tv, and the place looked too clean, so I don't have much confidence in him.

This is a busy time of year for a good machine shop. People have their tax refund in hand an want to get their race motors done. If he has time to set around give him some more time to set around by finding another shop. Even are local parts store that sen all of their machine work off to it's corporate machine shop an hour and a half away would give you a better deal.

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